аЯрЁБс > ўџ 6 8 ўџџџ 5 џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС b №П  jbjbіХіХ $ Ї Ї 
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4 May 1926
Dear Ms. Fausset and the staff of The Crisis,
Please consider using the following piece of writing in your magazine. I saw last nights performance of Compromise, The Broken Banjo, and The Church Fight by the Krigwa Players. Mrs. Ruth Ada Gaines-Sheltons play inspired me as both an artist and a woman and Ive been smoking over it ever since.
Thank you,
Eula M. Smith
Eula Mae Smith
Yesterday evenings performance by the Krigwa Players and the Negro Little Theater was inspiring both as an artist and a black woman to see the writing of a bardacious black woman onstage. Mrs. Ruth Ada Gaines-Sheltons play, The Church Fight, poled out among the three playsthe others being Willis Richardsons Compromise and The Broken Banjo. They just aint got it. Out of respect for Dr. W.E.B. Duboiss thoughts on Negro theater, I have been smoking over The Church Fight with his rules in mind.
I. About Us. That is, they must have plots which reveal Negro life as it is.
II. By us. That is, they must be written by Negro authors who understand from birth and continual association just what it means to be a Negro today.
The Negro audience really dug The Church Fights story. We are all good church-going people, and Mrs. Gaines-Shelton cuts it by making it funny. The characters and situations were solid! This was no gut bucket. Ethel Bennett as Sister Instigator and John S. Brown as Brother Judas try to out Parson Procrastinator (Ira DeA. Reid), accusing him of stealing money to buy land. In the end, the two-faced parishioners, played by R.J. Huey, L. Smith, H.A. Carter, A. Lindsay, A., Dabney, Mrs. M. King, and Mrs. E. Anderson, refuse to stand against the Parson and back down. I think Mrs. Gaines-Shelton might be telling the real thing!
Along with a hot cast of Negro actors (named above), Louise Latimer and the dickty Aaron Douglas painted the backgrounds for the performances. The Church Fight won second prize in the Krigwa contest in our very own Crisis magazine. Its obvious why those buckras judging the contest thought she was worth the $40 prize. The number of Negro artists who had their hands in last nights performance would be kopasetee even outside of Harlem.
III. For us. That is, the theater must cater primarily to Negro audiences and be supported and sustained by their entertainment and approval.
IV. Near us. The theater must be in a Negro neighborhoods near the mass of ordinary Negro people.
Inside the New York Public Library on 135th street sat over 200 peoplea packed house to see themselves on the stage. A stage, dressing rooms, and stage lighting were built into the public library in order to present this play as it deserves to be seen. It had been hard to get an audience up here what with all the jiving, dogging, and fancy lights down on Broadway. But when our people put out art for our people, they show up in droves to support their community. Charles Gilpin and Paul Robeson represent us below 96th street, Bert Williams steals the vaudeville stage with his comedy acts, but Dr. Dubois has brought legitimate Negro theater to the black communitytheater that takes us seriously.
If you consider yourself to be a true member of the Negro community in Harlem, make sure you get yourself a seat at the Negro Little Theatre at the 135th St. Public Library. Season of 1926 will be presented the next two Mondays at 8:30pm. Make sure you are there to support the Negro actors and writers in Harlem.
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